Exhibit of political cartoons by one of ‘Cuban Five’ prisoners presented at SPARC gallery in Venice

Humor From My Pen, an exhibition of political cartoons by Gerardo Hernández Nordelo, will be on display from Saturday, June 4 through Friday, June 17 at the Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC)/Old Venice Jail gallery, 685 N. Venice Blvd.

The exhibit includes works by Politico’s editorial cartoonist and illustrator, Matt Wuerker, and the creator of the nationally syndicated daily cartoon “La Cucaracha,” Lalo Alcaraz.

The show is presented by the International Committee for the Freedom of the Cuban Five, in conjunction with SPARC’s 35th anniversary celebration, and Honorary Committee: Actors and Artists United for the Freedom of the Cuban Five.

Opening night, scheduled from 7 to 10 p.m. June 4, will include a celebration of Nordelo’s 46th birthday, and panel discussion with Judy Baca, founder/artistic director of SPARC; Emily Winters, muralist and co-founder of the Venice Arts Council; and Carol A. Wells, founder and executive director of the Center for the Study of Political Graphics. Alicia Jrapko, coordinator of the International Committee for the Freedom of the Cuban Five, will also give an update on the Cuban Five. There is a suggested donation of $10 for opening night.

For Nordelo, a great sense of responsibility and sense of humor was always part of his philosophy of life, event organizers say. Nordelo is one of the Cuban Five political prisoners held in U.S. prisons since 1998 and he is currently serving two life sentences at the U.S. Penitentiary in Victorville.

Nordelo, Ram—n Laba—ino, Fernando Gonzalez, Antonio Guerrero and René Gonzalez, internationally known as the Cuban Five, were accused of conspiracy to commit espionage. The U.S. government never accused them of actual espionage, nor did it affirm that real acts of espionage had been carried out, as no classified document had been confiscated from the Five, according to event organizers. Their actual mission in the United States was monitoring the activities of the groups and organizations responsible for alleged terrorist activities against Cuba.

Nordelo’s cartoons have been seen in various galleries in Cuba and recently at the VIII Congress of Cuban Journalists in the province of Las Tunas. His drawings have been published since 1982 and displayed in gallery exhibitions. Nordelo’s book of caricatures and humor, “You Can Achieve Everything with Love and Humor,” was published in 2002.

Event co-sponsors include: Aris Anagnos, James Cromwell, Ed Harris, Joe Perez and Susan Sarandon with support from the Venice Arts Council, KPFK, the Center for the Study of Political Graphics, Southern California Americans for Democratic Action, FILMS4Cuban5, the Los Angeles Coalition in Solidarity with Cuba, Local- Service Employees International Union United Service Workers West, James Beach, Canal Club, Danny’s and ¡S’ Cuba! SoCal.